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UAE appoints first Minister for Artificial Intelligence

Ministers also appointed for Advanced Sciences and Food Security as UAE looks to the future

Omar Bin Sultan, the UAE's first Minister for Artificial Intelligence.

By Staff writer

Thu 19 Oct 2017 03:00 PM

The UAE on Thursday appointed Omar Bin Sultan Al Olama as the country's first Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence as part of a cabinet reshuffle.

Aged just 27, his appointment is part of the UAE's ambition to be at the forefront of the global technological revolution which sees it planning to be build homes on the planet Mars by 2117.

The position was announced in a tweet by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Prime Minister and Vice President and ruler of Dubai who said: "The new Government is a Government for the new Emirati percentage. To develop knowledge. Supporting science and research."

The move comes just days after Sheikh Mohammed announced the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (AI), a major part of the UAE Centennial 2070 objectives.

The initiative aims to improve government performance and create an innovative and highly-productive environment by means of investing in AI.

Other new positions created in the reshuffle include a Minister for Advanced Sciences and another for Food Security, according to a series of tweets, written in Arabic.

Sheikh Mohammed said: "The new Government is a Government for the new Emirati percentage. To develop knowledge. Supporting science and research."

In other announcements, Ahmad Belhoul was appointed as Minister of State for Higher Education & Advanced Skills and chair of the Federal Authority for Human Resources.

Nasser Thani Al Hameli was named Minister of Human Resources & Emiratisation while 30-year old Sara Al Amiri has become Minister of State whose portfolio will cover advanced sciences.

Maryam Al Mehairi has been named UAE Minister of State whose portfolio will cover food security and Nora Al-Kaabi was appointed as Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development..

Hessa Buhumaid is the new the Minister of Community Development while Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan is Minister of State for Tolerance and Zaki Nusseibeh is named a Minister of State.

As part of the reshuffle, Minister of Energy, Suhail Al Mazroui, will also be in charge of developing the manufacturing sector and advanced industries while Abdullah Mohammad bin Touq was appointed Secretary General of the UAE Cabinet.

Earlier in a tweet, Sheikh Mohammed said a cabinet reshuffle would be announced on Thursday.

In his tweet, Sheikh Mohammed said the reshuffle would represent “a renewal of blood, a catalyst for change and a preparation for the next stage of our nation's path”.

In the last significant structural change, Sheikh Mohammed announced in February last year that the UAE planned to outsource most government tasks to the private sector and cut the number of ministries.

He announced the formation of a single education ministry, abolishing the ministry of higher education, and fused several other state bodies into related ministries.

The new cabinet in full

Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Defence